17316: schwartz: Rhythms Without End (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Philippe Charles <pgcharles@hotmail.com>

Corbett listers,

Here is the text of an article I recently wrote about Haitian drum music,
for
a small magazine called WPR - World Percussion & Rhythm. It is to be
published in their Fall issue, due out shortly.

-Markus

Rhythms Without End
Haitian Vodou Drum Music
by Markus Schwartz

Even a small sampling of the drumming styles in Haitian Vodou music reveals
an incredible depth and diversity of repertoire.  Each zone of the country
has its own distinct drumming traditions, which are often not shared by
drummers from other areas. Several of my Haitian drum teachers, who for this
very reason dedicated years to traveling around the country for the research
and documentation of their own Vodou heritage, have told me that no one
person could ever possibly know all the different drum rhythms played in
Haiti. Certainly my own 14 years spent studying and performing Haitian music
have lead me to the same conclusion.

Port-au-Prince
A logical starting place for a discussion of Haitian Vodou drums is in the
country's capital, Port-au-Prince. Here, and in the surrounding areas, one
finds a fairly established regional repertoire of standardized drum music
performed in the Hounfor (Vodou temple). With some exceptions, the majority
of these Port-au-Prince Vodou rhythms can be placed into one of two main
categories: Rada or Petwo. Typical Rada rhythms from Port-au-Prince drumming
include: Yanvalou, Parigol (or Twarigol), Mayi, Zèpòl and Dawòmen. Each of
these rhythms are actually made up of many different styles, variations, and
conversations between the drums. Yanvalou for example, is actually a myriad
of forms such as Yanvalou Doba, Minokan, Anbatònnel, etc. One also finds
locale-specific styles: dialogues between the Manman and Segon drums which
are created and passed down through generations of drummers within a
particular community.

The entire family of music broadly termed Petwo is vast as well. A few of
the many Petwo drumming styles include Fran, Doki, Makaya, Makanda, and Ti
Joslinn. Other rhythms such as Boumba and Kita also fall into the Petwo
family. Other Port-au-Prince Vodou rhythms outside the Rada/Petwo paradigm
include Ibo, Kongo, Nago, Djouba/Matinik, Maskawòn (or Yanvalou Gede) and
Banda.

Presently, Port-au-Prince Vodou ceremonial drummers typically utilize two
sets of drums; the Rada and the Petwo, to perform all rhythms, including
those that fall outside the Rada/Petwo categories.  For example, the Kongo,
Ibo and Nago rhythms can all played on the Rada drums, while the
Djoumba/Matinik and Banda rhythms are usually performed on the Petwo drums.

(photo 1.) Port-au-Prince Rada drums (Tanbou Lafrik Ginèn) Carved wood
covered with cow-skin attached with pegs. (l-r) Manman, Segon, Boula.

(photo 2.) Petwo drums (Tanbou Petwo), Carved wood covered with goat-skin
attached with ropes. ( l) Manman or Baka; (r) Rale or Ti-Baka; (foreground)
Kata

The Kase
The kase, meaning break, is a unique phenomenon present in most if not all
of the rhythms of Haitian Vodou, and when one considers that each rhythm
also has its corresponding kase, the entire Vodou drum repertoire is
effectively doubled.  A sudden divergence from the flow of the main rhythm
usually initiated by a call from the Manman drum, the kase may serve as a
jumping-off point for the Manman player to cross the rhythm, creating
tension and release inside the music in a very powerful way. In
Port-au-Prince drumming, the kase can be used to display the virtuosity and
individuality of the Manman drummer, who sometimes plays very elaborate
improvised passages, especially if trying to induce possession trance
amongst the Hounsi (initiates) dancing in the ceremony. Serving a different
function altogether, the kase can also be used as a fixed section of the
rhythm that signals to the dancers to perform specific choreography, and it
is in this capacity that the kase is often employed in the Vodou music found
in the Lakou (traditional courtyard/communities found in the countryside) of
Gonaives.

Gonaives
Unlike in Port-au-Prince, where the Rada and Petwo drums are typically used
to play all of the different families of rhythms, the Vodou music tradition
in Gonaives, some 80 miles to the North, insists that each particular family
of rhythms uses its own unique sets of drums. Souvenance, Soukrie and Badjo,
three traditional Lakou in the Gonaives area, are clear examples of this
organizational system, where each Nachon, (“Nation”, signifying an ancestral
link to a specific cultural past in Africa) has been preserved with its own
distinct ritual. Lakou Souvenance is a Vodou community that celebrates its
Rada (ancient kingdom of Dahomey) heritage, and is often referred to as the
single largest Vodou ceremony in Haiti. Lakou Badjo has Nago (Yoruba) roots,
and Lakou Soukrie is where the Kongo (Central/Southern Africa) traditions
are preserved. In each of these Vodou Lakou, the ritual prayer language,
drums, songs, rhythms and dances all distinctly unique, and are direct
descendants of the ancestral and spiritual line to which that particular
Lakou is dedicated. In Souvenance, one finds Rada Dawòmen drums, dances and
songs all performed in honor of the Rada Lwa (spirits of Haitian Vodou).  At
Soukrie, the Kongo Lwa are served with their own specific Kongo instruments
and repertoire, and at Lakou Badjo, Nago drums, rhythms and songs are used.

(photo 3)
Souvenance Rada drums (Tanbou Dawòmen) along with Master Drummers from Lakou
Souvenance including Alfrèd, George, Vernisio, & Pierre - drums (l-r) Ogan
(iron bell), Gwònde; Manman (or Hountò); Katabou.

When one hears the deep rumbling of Rada drumming emanating from Lakou
Souvenance, one can’t help but notice how different it is from
Port-au-Prince Rada music**. The voices of the Souvenance drums have a
deeper pitch than Port-au-Prince Rada drums, and this difference is
accentuated by the Katabou. The lowest of the three Rada drums, the Katabou
plays a similar role to the Boula of Port-au-Prince Rada music; beating the
second and third triplet notes (the off-beats) of each underlying pulse.
However, the Rada rhythms from Souvenance, with names like Akbadja,
Wanndjale, Agoni and Kavalyè Hountò, are generally performed at a slower
pace than their Southern compatriots, and the Katabou, played with two heavy
sticks, adds a distinct texture to the music of Souvenance.

The Rada music from Lakou Souvenance alone takes years to learn. There are
at least 19 different rhythms, each with its own kase. While the
Port-au-Prince Rada kase can be a free-flowing improvised segment, it's
length and intensity determined largely by the individual style of the
Manman drummer, the kase in Souvenance Rada music is a predetermined passage
within each rhythm's organization. In Souvenance, the kase serves two
functions: its performance dictates certain movements to be executed by the
dancing participants – telling them when to turn around in place or change
directions – and also serves as a bridge between the various sections of a
rhythm. Using Akbadja, a rhythm with three sections linked one to the next
by the kase, that is performed frequently throughout the annual week-long
ceremony at Souvenance as an example, we can see how the kase functions
within the music.

After the singer (called Larènn) begins a song, the drums enter one by one.
The highest-pitched Gwònde comes in first, stating the appropriate rhythm
for the song being sung. The low Katabou comes in next, using a signature
phrase (kro-ko-kodop-kodop-kodop) to find its way to its appropriate spot in
the music. The Manman enters last, with a powerful phrase which firmly
establishes her as the head of this musical family. The drums are now
playing the first section of Akbadja. After a subtle call by the Manman, the
Gwònde follows into the kase phrase, dialoguing with the Manman for 16 bars
or more, in a fixed call-and-response form. When the Manman drum signals the
end of the kase, the Gwònde is then free to enter into one of the other two
sections of Akbadja. As each section has a uniquely specific dialogue, the
Manman follows the Gwònde’s lead with the appropriate response. Each kase
bridges one section of the main rhythm with the next, and is timed to give
direction to the dancers.

The dancers move towards the drums from across the earthen floor of the
Peristil (ritual space where Vodou dances are held). Once they arrive before
the drums, the Manman drum signals the kase. The dancers then slowly turn
180 degrees away from the drums and begin to dance back to the other side of
the room, picking up speed and intensity as the drums leave the kase and
enter into the next Akbadja section. As the dancers reach the opposite end
of the floor, the kase turns them around and the cycle is then repeated.
This ongoing dialogue between the drummers and dancers continues late into
the night, and throughout the week-long celebration.

A Kreyol proverb in Haiti says "Dèyè mòn genyen mòn", which means "Beyond
the mountains, there are mountains". Called pawòl granmoun (words of the
elders), Kreyol proverbs are verbal treasure chests filled with multiple
layers of meaning. Although literally referencing the topography of this
mountainous Caribbean island, this proverb also articulates the concept that
the mysteries never end, what lies beyond is unknowable. Counting mountains
or drum beats in the magical land of Ayiti Tòma would be an exercise in
futility, better to simply appreciate their infinite beauty.

(photo 4 - place with bio info below)
Markus performing on Rada and Petwo drums with Haitian jazz quintet Mozayik.

Brooklyn-based percussionist Markus Schwartz has spent the past 14 years
studying and playing Haitian music. Markus has performed and recorded with
many of Haiti's top musicians, including teachers Bonga Jean-Baptiste and
Jean Raymond Giglio (drummers with the pioneering Vodou-Jazz group Foula),
Frisner Augustin, Dadi Beaubrun, Jephté Guillaume, Beethova Obas, Emeline
Michel and Wyclef Jean among many others. Additionally, Markus has worked as
an accompanist with such renowned Haitian dancers as Jean-Leon Destiné,
Peniel Guerrier, Lionel St. Surin, and Nadia Dieudonné.  Before moving to
New York City, Markus was Musical Director of Petit La Croix, a S.F. Bay
Area folkloric ensemble founded by Blanche Brown and John Scovel. Markus
recorded a solo CD of Haitian drum music entitled Simido in 1995. Currently
he is the featured percussionist with the Haitian jazz quintet Mozayik, who
recently traveled to Cuba to represent Haiti in the 2002 Havana Jazz
Festival. Markus can be reached at simido@aol.com.

*An excellent resource on the Internet for exploring many aspects of Haitian
Vodou including drum music with audio samples can be found at:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/5319/ayibobo.htm

**Angels in the Mirror: Vodou Music of Haiti (Ellipsis Arts) - For a clear
example of the difference between Port-au-Prince and Gonaives Rada music,
consult tracks 2 and 3.

Other resources for Haitian drumming:
Book and CD:
Lois Wilken & Frisner Augustin. The Drums of Vodou
Publisher: White Cliffs Media Co.; (October 1992)

Yih, Yuen-Ming David.  Music and Dance of Haitian Vodou: Diversity and Unity
in Regional Repertoires
Wesleyan Ph.D. Dissertation in Ethnomusicology 1995

Gerdes Fleurant. Dancing Spirits  Rhythms and Rituals of Haitian Vodun, the
Rada Rite
Greenwood Press 1996

URLs:
an excellent list of Vodou music and culture-related links can be found at:
www.vodoudrumset.com/links.asp
(also see their list of recordings of Haitian drum music)
www.makandal.org
www.bongamusic.com
www.vodou.org
www.tamboula.com

Selected Recordings:
Angels in the Mirror: Vodou Music of Haiti (Ellipsis Arts)
Rhythms of Rapture: Sacred Music's of Haitian Vodou (Smithsonian Folkways,
1995)
Voodoo Drums (Soul Jazz Records, 2001)
Mizik Tradisyonel Ayiti, Volim 1 & 2 - Grandra & Soukri (Crowing Rooster
Arts, 1997)
Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti (also a book and film on video),
by Maya Deren

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